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ArgayNeighborhood Association

CentennialCommunity Association

GlenfairNeighborhood Association

HazelwoodNeighborhood Association

LentsNeighborhood Association

Mill ParkNeighborhood Association

Parkrose HeightsAssociation of Neighbors

ParkroseNeighborhood Association

Pleasant ValleyNeighborhood Association

Powellhurst/GilbertNeighborhood Association

RussellNeighborhood Association

WilkesCommunity Group

Woodland ParkNeighborhood Association

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April 2009 News from the East Portland Neighborhood Associations vol. 14 issue 2

E A S T P O R T L A N D

NEIGHBORHOODA S S O C I A T I O N N E W S

Are you on ourfree mailing list forthe East Portland

NeighborhoodAssociation News?If your name does notappear above youraddress, you are not. Callus at 503-823-4550 tomake sure you get everyissue.

Are you on ourfree mailing list forthe East Portland

NeighborhoodAssociation News?If your name does notappear above youraddress, you are not. Callus at 503-823-4550 tomake sure you get everyissue.

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ACCEPTING: Yard Debris; Bulky Waste; Wood; Metals;Bicycles; Tires ( $3.00 per tire)

Materials collected will be recycled, if possible

Proceeds from this event help fund special projects of the 13 East Portland Neighborhood Associations that benefit and celebrate the community in which we live. All workers at the event are volunteers from those Neighborhood Associations.

NOT ACCEPTING:Hazardous waste (animal, medical or chemical), oil and solvents, kitchen garbage, commercial landscaping/ construction debris or computers,TVs, monitors, etc.

(We will provide information about where these materials can be disposed of )

Please complete this coupon to reserve space at the May 9 event.Enclose payment and return to:East Portland Neighbors 1017 NE 117th Avenue, Portland, OR 97220

Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Mail Address: ______________________________________________________________

Phone and /or email __________________________________________________________

PRIORITY REGISTRATIONS DUE BY APRIL 30:Receipt will be mailed and must be presented at clean-up

CONTACT: Carol Williams, 503-255-9596 or carolsmailbox@msn.com

Enclosed:

� $10 (Car)

��$20 (Truck/Trailer)

By Mark White

The East Portland Exposition

(EPO XPO) will be held at Ed

Benedict Community Park just

east of I-205 on SE Powell

Boulevard on July 24, 25, and

26, 2009. The event will include

lots of great food, entertainment,

educational presentations and

demonstrations, and special

activities. Areas of focus for the

event are children and families,

health and wellness, and multi-

culturalism. Funtastic will be

conducting a carnival across the

street. There will be no entry fee

to EPO XPO or the carnival.

EPO XPO is cosponsored by all

13 of East Portland’s

Neighborhoods.

The first EPO XPO coalition-

wide planning meeting was held

on March 2, 2009. The meeting

focus was on further defining the

planning focus as well as some

specifics of program compo-

nents. The second planning

meeting is scheduled for imme-

diately before press time on

March 31, 2009.

The first phase of the event

Internet site will be up and run-

ning by the time this issue is

available. Go to

www.epoxpo.org to check it out.

The site will be updated closer to

the event with information about

exhibitors, presentation and

demonstration topics, and enter-

tainment. Information on special

activities will also be posted on

the Internet site.

Look for a detailed article on

the event in the next edition of

the paper.

If you would like to participate

in the event planning or volun-

teer at the event, or if you would

like to exhibit or sponsor EPO

XPO, please contact Mark

White via e-mail at

markpdx@spiritone.com or by

telephone at 503-761-0222.

Photo by Mark White

Funtastic headquarters, across the street from Ed Benedict Park.

Update — The East Portland Exposition

Page 2 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

By Bonny McKnight

EP Cleanup Committee

On May 9, 2009 from 9:00

am to 1:00 pm, at the

Albertsons parking lot at

122nd and NE Halsey streets,

the 13 East Portland

Neighborhood Associations

will hold their annual district-

wide Clean Up event.

As you can tell by the infor-

mation on our front page,

we’ve made some changes

this year. We want to tell you

why.

• We are requesting you pur-

chase priority reservations

for the event. Last year the

participation at the event

was so huge and unex-

pected, we ran out of

dumpsters before some of

you had a chance to

unload your materials.

Priority reservations will be

a guarantee that we have

enough dumpsters to serve

you.

• We are asking you to pur-

chase priority reservations

so we don’t have to collect

money on site and so we

can encourage everyone

coming to the event to con-

tribute their fair share of

support. We also want to

eliminate use of the event

by commercial contractors

who might take up dump-

ster space for large loads

of building materials that

are better dealt with at

commercial recycling sites.

• We will be better able to

handle the traffic generat-

ed by the event through the

use of prepaid priority

reservations. Rather than

dealing with collection of

money and issuance of

receipts at the site, we will

assign many of our volun-

teers to make sure traffic

impact on residents near

the area is controlled and

that long waits on busy

streets are avoided.

• We will be able to better

separate waiting lines for

yard debris and bulky

waste by knowing before

the event how to distribute

dumpsters on site for those

uses. We will also be

using large dumpsters only

and better managing

removal and replacement.

That will reduce the time

waiting for dumpster

access.

• We will help our volunteers

perform their roles during

the event by giving them

fewer, more specific tasks

and identifying them with

brightly colored vests so

they are identifiable to

those leaving materials.

• Finally, we will be able to

improve our ability to keep

the site cleaned up during

and after the event. Our

volunteers will make sure

that materials are correctly

added to the dumpsters

and that unplanned items

are placed in the appropri-

ate groups for removal.

We hope you can see the

differences this year.

Our annual East Portland

Neighborhood Associations

district wide Clean Up is a

huge undertaking for volun-

teers. We hold Clean Ups to

make sure that residents in

our community are offered an

affordable way to get rid of

unwanted items, materials,

and yard debris. We hold

Clean Ups to make sure all of

these unwanted materials are

recycled and don’t end up in

traditional dump sites. And

we hold Clean Ups to help

generate funding support for

many other services and

events provided by your

Neighborhood Associations

during the year.

Would you like to volunteer

to help with our May 9 Clean

Up? Call Carol Williams at

503-255-9596 or email her at

Carolsmailbox@msn.com.

Carol is one of our great vol-

unteers who can help you

identify the various tasks we

need covered during the

Clean Up and can schedule

your contribution of time.

For other information about

our East Portland

Neighborhood Associations,

our East Portland

Neighborhood Association

Newspaper, or other events

and activities happening

through our district

Neighborhood Associations,

you can call the East Portland

Neighborhood Association

Office at 503-823-4550 or

email us at info@epno.org.

The office is located at 1017

NE 117th Avenue, Portland,

OR 97220.

East Portland Neighborhood Associations

Annual Spring Clean-up

Bike Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9

Classique Floors . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12

eastPDXnews.com . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3

Eastport Plaza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12

Free Geek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

Halsey East Animal Clinic . . . . . . . page 4

Jose Mesa Auto Wholesale . . . . . . page 8

Junk Away Hauling . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

Kevin R. Minkoff CPA . . . . . . . . . page 12

Parkrose Festival. . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

Pizza Baron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4

Quality Cage Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

Reach CDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7

Realty Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9

Rex Heating

and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

Advertiser listing

Photo by David F. Ashton

Lines of trucks and cars await their turn to dump trash at the annual East Portland Neighborhood

Organization Clean-up event.

By Mark White

The Powellhurst-Gilbert

Neighborhood Association has

launched a long term restoration

project along the Springwater

Corridor. The project focus will

be between SE 128th and SE

136th and is being managed by

the Greening of Powellhurst-

Gilbert Committee.

The restoration project will be

done in collaboration with

Portland Parks and Recreation

and is currently envisioned as a

series of small projects finally

culminating in a completely

restored area between SE 128th

and SE 136th. The

Neighborhood is hopeful that it

will be able to secure grant fund-

ing to take on a larger compo-

nent to help speed up the com-

pletion of the project. Restoration

will include the removal of inva-

sive species and replanting with

native species.

This restoration project will be a

w o n d e r f u l

addition to the

i n c r e d i b l e

ongoing effort

already under-

way to fully

restore areas

along the

Springwater

Corridor. In

addition to the

i n c r e d i b l e

efforts in the Lents

Neighborhood with Beggar’s

Tick, the Springwater Corridor

Wetlands Project is an ecosys-

tem restoration project that is

being shepherded by the City of

Portland Bureau of

Environmental Services. This

project, between SE 108th and

SE 122nd will connect Beggar’s

Tick in the Lents Neighborhood

(which also acts as a boundary

between the Lents and

Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighbor-

hoods at this juncture) to a series

of interconnected wetlands end-

ing at the lower 10 acres of the

unrestored wetlands at Zenger

Farm, well into the Powellhurst-

Gilbert Neighborhood.

The Springwater Corridor

Wetlands project still has one

piece of property to be pur-

chased, but the design is at 90%

completion. Plans currently

include a walking trail that runs

through the newly restored proj-

ect area with connections from

both the adjacent neighborhood

and the Springwater Corridor

Trail. The Federal Stimulus Plan

will help move the project further

up the ladder for completion as

other already- to-go projects are

completed.

Once the Neighborhood

restoration project is completed

between SE 128th and SE

136th, a large swath of East

Portland will be restored to its

natural state. It will not only

assist with water mitigation from

flooding from Johnson Creek,

but will also create the largest

suburban wetlands and wildlife

refuge in the City of Portland with

the majority of it located in the

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood. An impressive

feat for the most populated

neighborhood in the City of

Portland.

If you are interested in helping

with future restoration efforts,

please contact Mark White via

telephone at 503-761-0222 or by

e-mail at

markpdx@spiritone.com.

Photo by Mark White

Powellhurst-Gilbert launches SpringwaterCorridor Restoration Project

East Portland Neighbors distributes the East Portland Neighborhood Association News (EPNAN) free. The goal of this

newspaper is to build our community voice through neighborhood associations. If you have a community event or activi-

ty you would like to include in the next issue, we welcome your submittals. Please send it to the address below.

EPNAN is produced by the community, and for the community. Most of the articles are written by volunteers in the neigh-

borhoods. Volunteers active in their community are encouraged to submit articles for publication. The responsibility for the

content of the articles is that of the authors. Corrections are made when known, but East Portland Neighbors does not

verify the accuracy of all statements.

East Portland Neighbors is a non-profit organization of recognized neighborhood association in East Portland. Its mis-

sion is to support member neighborhood association with collaborative projects.

East Portland Neighbors can be contacted c/o:

East Portland Neighborhood Office

1017 NE 117th Avenue, Portland, OR 97220

Phone - 503-823-4550, Fax - 503-823-4525

Email – info@epno.org

East Portland Neighborhood News April 2009 Page 3

By Linda Robinson

Jane’s Park Group

Haley Smith, the Pesticide Free

Parks Volunteer and Outreach

Coordinator from NCAP (Northwest

Coalition for Alternatives to

Pesticides), had lined up 10 volun-

teers through “Hands On Greater

Portland” for the first work party at

Midland Park in conjunction with its

new status as a Pesticide-Free

Park. Unfortunately, the weather on

February 22, turned out to be very

cold and windy – and 9 of the 10

individuals were “no shows.”

Additional volunteer work parties

have been scheduled from 1:00 to

3:00 pm on Sunday, April 26 and

Sunday, May 31. The weather is

certain to be much warmer by then

– and the weeds more abundant!

Anyone interested in participating

should contact Haley Smith at

portland@pesticide.org or 503-

423-7549.

Pesticide-free work party at Midland Park

Photos by Linda Robinson

Haley Smith and Dre Perlaki, the one volunteer who

came, worked hard for two hours, pulling weeds and

spreading wood chips around tree trunks, benches and

large rocks in the park.

By Tom Barnes

The Powellhurst-Gilbert

Neighborhood Association

has launched an ADOPT-A-

DRAIN program. This will be

a pilot program for the

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood Association to

help control street and side-

walk flooding at some of the

most crucial locations in the

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood. The program

will be comprised of a core

group of volunteers to meet

when conditions dictate, i.e.,

before heavy rains or snows

are predicted, and clean the

storm drains that are identi-

fied as chronic problems.

The program tasks will

include cleaning the drain

grates and the immediate

area around the drain, bag-

ging the material in plastic

bags, and taking the bags to

a dumpster or drop off area

to be picked up.

By undertaking this pro-

gram, we have a chance to

make our streets and side-

walks much safer for our

friends and family to travel

on. If we want our neighbor-

hood to improve, we have to

work together. The ADOPT-

A-DRAIN program is a excel-

lent way to improve the safe-

ty and livability of our neigh-

borhood. So please volun-

teer and we can make a dif-

ference. Contact Tom

Barnes at 503-761-6614 for

more information and/or to

volunteer.

Cleandrainsfor safestreets

By Arlene Kimura

Michael Eagan is the 2008 winner of

the Spirit of Portland Humanitarian

Award. The narrative below details his

accomplishments, and they are consid-

erable.

“In 2003, Michael began working for

Elders in Action as a personal advocate

for seniors, and in 2006 was elected to

the commission. During the past year in

his current role as advocacy coordinator,

he set up meetings with individual elect-

ed officials from city council, county com-

missioners, members of the state legis-

lature and members of Oregon's con-

gressional delegation to emphasize the

needs of seniors. He also serves on the

county disability services advisory coun-

cil, mid-county district senior center advi-

sory committee, and the Oregon state

council of retired citizens. As a repre-

sentative of these agencies, and as a

disabled senior citizen, he testifies fre-

quently at public hearings at all levels.”

There is another face to Michael

Eagan. He and Sylvia are residents of

Hazelwood, living near Lincoln Park.

They moved here from California when

she took a position as pastor of a local

church. She is now the equivalent of a

“substitute pastor.” They continue to be

active and involved, leading by example

rather than just thinking up good ideas

for someone else to do, and then com-

plaining when no one executes their

ideas. Further, despite the many physi-

cal challenges they deal with daily, they

are also helping to raise their grandson.

This is the real legacy of Michael and

Sylvia Eagan. Anyone can be involved

and make their world better and brighter.

You may have to tailor how you are

involved but you can find a way to make

a difference. Thanks to both of you.

Spirit of Portland Humanitarian Award

and Hazelwood resident

ONI Photo

Michael Eagan receives 2008 Spirit of

Portland award from Commissioner Dan

Saltzman.

By Mark White

The Powellhurst-Gilbert

Neighborhood had its very first

tree planting with Friends of

Trees on January 17. The

event was held in conjunction

with a Lents Neighborhood

Association tree planting. All

volunteers for the combined

tree planting met at Zenger

Farm in Powellhurst-Gilbert

for instruction and group

assignments before heading

out.

Between the volunteers from

the Powellhurst-Gilbert and

Lents Neighborhoods and a

major contribution of volun-

teers from Portland General

Electric, and despite the cold

and windy weather, there were

at least 50 people for the com-

bined tree planting. The

Neighborhoods were also

joined by Commissioner

Amanda Fritz who had been

on the job for less than three

weeks. But as many through-

out Portland know, before

becoming a Commissioner,

citizen Fritz had participated in

well over a dozen Friends of

Trees plantings.

Powellhurst-Gilbert was for-

tunate to have Commissioner

Fritz accompany us for our

planting and we were very

grateful to have such a hard

working partner. The

Neighborhood planted approx-

imately 2 dozen trees, finish-

ing up with about 15 trees at

Gilbert Hydropark.

Once finished, and very cold,

both neighborhood groups

headed back to Zenger Farm

to warm up with pizza from the

Pizza Baron located in

Powellhurst-Gilbert and many

other delicious treats.

Many thanks to John and

Julie, the Neighborhood coor-

dinators from Powellhurst-

Gilbert and Lents respectively,

all the community volunteers

from Powellhurst-Gilbert and

Lents, Commissioner Fritz,

Zenger Farm, Pizza Baron,

and a very big thank you to

PGE for being such an incred-

ible supporter of community

events. Last, and most defi-

nitely not least, Friends of

Trees and all of their on-site

support people, with an extra

special thanks to Rachel

Larsen.

With such knowledgeable

and pleasant staff, you are

definitely missing out on a

great experience if you

haven’t already participated in

a Friends of Trees planting.

And the holes are already dug

by Friends of Trees! So, it’s

definitely more fun than work.

You learn the best methods to

plant trees and get to know

your neighbors at the same

time. Now that’s a good day!

If you are interested in having

a Friends of Trees planting in

your neighborhood, you can

contact Friends of Trees via

their Internet site, www.friend-

softrees.org or by telephone at

503-282-8846.

Thank you all for your support over the years as I continue “reporting to and advocating for”outer East Portland.

Every Friday night, you’ll find new stories, filled with exclusive photos, to read & share. Don’t miss out! Check in weekly! www.eastPDXnews.com

Fresh News Every Friday!

David F. Ashton - david@eastPDXnews.com

Powellhurst-Gilbert has first tree planting

Photo by Mark White

Commissioner Fritz joins other volunteers to plant trees.

City of Portland

Multnomah County

Information

& Referral

503-823-4000They know

who to call.

By Jess Laventall

In December 2008, residents

in Lents and parts of

Powellhurst-Gilbert received a

survey in the mail regarding

their neighborhood. The survey

focused on aspects of livability,

participation and included

questions about a proposed

9,000 seat minor league base-

ball stadium to Lents Park.

Though the decision has been

made to build the stadium else-

where, Lents and Powellhurst

residents supported the stadi-

um proposal by a ratio of 2 to 1

(61.7% support, 29.0% oppose,

9.3% have no opinion). This

level of support reflects resi-

dents’ desires to add something

substantial to the neighborhood

to help bring more economic

growth and investment to the

neighborhood.

Some 38.3% of residents say

the government should focus

more spending on their neigh-

borhood (Lents, Powellhurst

Gilbert and Pleasant Valley).

Only 19.1% agree that “a lot of

changes for the good have

occurred in my neighborhood”

very much describes their

neighborhood (46.5% say this

somewhat describes their

neighborhood), leaving the

impression that more communi-

cation about positive changes

in the neighborhood would be

quite beneficial.

The majority of respondents,

61.6%, identify that job opportu-

nities in their neighborhood are

‘poor.’ Given a choice of various

initiatives, just over one-third

(34.1%) support creating livable

wage jobs as the initiative that

takes the most importance. The

creation of job opportunities in

our neighborhood would have

one of the strongest positive

impacts for our neighborhoods.

Lents residents specifically,

are keen on the idea of adding

a new grocery store or food co-

op to the neighborhood. Over

one-quarter (26.2%) of Lents

residents indicated this is the

initiative they most support.

This level of response has been

a positive motivator for a grass-

roots movement to form a food

co-op to take root in Lents.

Lents Neighborhood Chair,

Damien Chakwin commented,

“The results from this survey

have been quite useful in

enabling us to better under-

stand and reach out to the

diverse groups we have in our

neighborhood. It has been, and

continues to be a real asset for

us.” The benefits of community

surveying go beyond merely

“collecting data in the neighbor-

hood.” This survey has been an

effective community outreach

tool, and has given neighbors a

chance to weigh in on their

neighborhood.

You can view the full set of

results on-line at:

h t t p : / / w w w . d r i v e n -

research.com/lents-powell-

hurst-gilbert-survey-topline.

Residents in Lents and parts of Powellhurst Gilbert

speak out about their neighborhood

By Mark White

The skate plaza at Ed

Benedict Community Park was

opened to the public on

February 7, 2009. Despite the

cold February weather, there

were no shortage of boarders

taking advantage of this world

class, one-of-a- kind skate

plaza.

The skate plaza design is truly

unique. It includes several sus-

tainable elements such as

skateable art and water mitiga-

tion. And while most skateparks

mainly follow a bowl-type

design, the skate plaza incorpo-

rates elements such as jumps,

rails, steps, and other street

hardscape that gives boarders

the opportunity to utilize the

same elements on the street in a

safe environment designed

specifically for them.

The official grand opening

event will be Saturday, May 30,

2009, with many activities and

featuring guest speakers

Commissioner Saltzman,

Commissioner Fish, and Zari

Santner the Director of Portland

Parks and Recreation. The

event starts at 1:00 p.m.

TriMet riders can take bus #9

to just east of I-205. Parking

is also available in the park’s

lot between SE 102nd and

SE 104th.

Ed Benedict Skate Plaza opens

Photo by Mark White

Native plants and volunteers needed By Elaine Medcalf

Vice Chair, Powellhurst/Gilbert

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood Association is

working very hard on cleaning

up the graffiti. We are asking

our community to help us! I

am asking local businesses

and residents to donate plants

that will deter others from tag-

ging areas that seem to be hit

the hardest.

We have all seen an

increase of tagging and this

seems to be an ongoing prob-

lem. We have a list of plants

that will help with this, cover-

ing areas that are often

tagged. We are also looking

into paint that may be

obtained at an affordable cost

to use in troubled areas.

If you would like to help or

have a troubled area, please

contact Tom Barnes,

Powellhurst-Gilbert Public

Safety Chair at (503) 761-

6614; or Rosanne Lee from

ONI Crime Prevention (503)

823-3505.

By Alesia Reese

Gateway Urban Renewal

members Justin Douglas and

Christopher Masciocchi, along

with others, helped to select an

artist to create an outdoor art

piece to be installed at the

threshold of Gateway.

The art will be located at the

Oregon Clinic near the Transit

Mall and Fred Meyer. Members

of the committee narrowed the

search from more than 130

submissions, meeting through

the winter to provide input and

interests.

The Gateway Urban Renewal

Public Advisory Committee

thanks the members of the

Regional Arts Council and

especially Peggy Kendellen for

their support and hard work.

Photo by Alesia Reese

Gateway Urban Renewal mem-

bers Justin Douglas and

Christopher Masciocchi.

Artworkcoming toGateway

HALSEY EAST ANIMALCLINIC

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TEL: 503-255-0261 FAX: 503-256-1373Clinic Hours: M-S 8-6

By Joe Graun

Are you a parent living in

Powellhurst-Gilbert? If you are a

parent like me, you most likely

have children you love very

much and are looking for posi-

tive things you can do with your

children close to home. The

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood Association has

many volunteers just like you

who have been working at bring-

ing positive events to our neigh-

borhood and keeping you

informed about the valuable

assets in our neighborhood.

When I Learned about a local

child care facility located smack

dap in the middle of our neigh-

borhood that is barely being

used; I thought this was some-

thing that parents need to know

about. The First Time Around

Child Care/Preschool is located

in the Leander Court

Apartments SE of Holgate and

122nd intersection at 4620 SE

122nd Ave in unit 101. First Time

Around has a fun based child-

care development & kinder-

garten readiness program, and

a wonderful playground on site.

Owner and Director Pamela

Jimenez commented, “Most

neighbors don’t know our servic-

es are open to everyone, not just

Leander Court residents. We

always have room for a new

child.” First time around is a

member of the Child Care

Improvement Project (CCIP).

CCIP was created in 1999 to

support the growing need for

high quality and affordable child

care in Multnomah County. A

few of the benefits of the CCIP

are opportunities for parents to

participate in child develop-

ment/ parenting workshops,

group field trips, picnics holiday

parties, and financial assis-

tance for child care tuition. For

more information regarding

enrollment or questions

please contact Pamela

Jimenez at 503 772 2515.

A hidden treasure at Leander Court Apartments

Page 4 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

East Portland Neighborhood News April 2009 Page 5

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST Sandy Boulevard

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By Tamra Dickinson

Co-Chair, Friends of Powell Butte

There’s a temple in outer

east Portland. If you haven’t

been here, let us introduce

you to the joys of Powell

Butte. Through it flows all of

Portland’s clean drinking

water, pure from Bull Run.

Towering Douglas Firs rise

from the sides of the butte.

From the meadow on top, you

can see in all directions: the

Oregon and Washington

Cascades, volcanoes, down-

town Portland, and other local

buttes. Acres of non-native

hawthorn trees are being

removed from the meadow,

opening views even wider. In

the middle of a city, you can

see a deer or coyote, watch a

harrier soar and hunt, hear

owls hoot and woodpeckers

pound for bugs. You can feel

the beauty of Western

Oregon forest and field, and

Cascade views renew your

spirit. Powell Butte Nature

Park’s 600 areas are man-

aged by Portland Water

Bureau and Portland Parks

for three things: Portland’s

drinking water, nature and

wildlife, and people’s non-

motorized enjoyment of

nature.

Like a temple, we need to be

full of care in how we treat this

special place. Once, there

was another beautiful place

called “the commons.” It was

called that because everyone

shared and loved it. More and

more people realized how

much the commons had to

offer, so use increased and

people began taking more of

the special plants that were

part of the commons. Some

people’s use was quite hard

on the commons. When just

one person was using or tak-

ing the resources, it didn’t

seem to matter much. But

with the increased use, the

commons’ resources were

depleted. It’s called the

tragedy of the com-

mons. It can hap-

pen to Powell Butte

too. Here’s how we

can all be stewards

of our commons of

Powell Butte, so

we can protect it

from being over-

loved:

Please stay on

trails. Powell Butte

is home to rare

native plant

species. Some

plants are irre-

placeable if they are dam-

aged during their growth

cycle.

Ride bikes and horses on

dry trails. Please do not ride

when wet since this causes

trail erosion. As a mountain

biker, I worry when I hear

people talk about how “bicy-

clists ruin the park and nature

experience for others.”

Slowing when passing walk-

ers or horses helps them feel

more comfortable, and techni-

cally we should be the ones to

stop. A volunteer trail mainte-

nance group meets every 2nd

Saturday of the month, 9:00

a.m. in the parking lot. Join us!

Please protect the plants;

plant harvesting is illegal.

While it may seem like there

are acres of resources, many

plants are connected to other

wildlife needs. For example

three butterfly species, feed

on new nettle shoots. With

nettle harvesting becoming

popular, unfortunately we

have seen a decline in the

butterflies that feed on them.

You can get a permit for legal

plant harvesting in the nation-

al forests.

Dogs on leash and on trail.

Please pick up poop. I love

walking my dog at Powell

Butte. She loves it too. But

dogs can harm the wildlife.

Have you seen the harriers

hunting over the meadow?

These birds are ground

nesters. Their nests and

young are vulnerable to dogs.

A variety of research docu-

ments how the domestic dog,

evolved from a natural preda-

tor, still creates a stress reac-

tion for wildlife. Stress means

extra energy expenditure.

Escaping from a chase can

weaken an animal such that it

would fall prey to

a different pred-

ator. Dogs may

introduce dis-

ease and para-

sites. These are

some of the rea-

sons why Metro

doesn’t allow

dogs in its parks.

Since we all love

walking our dogs

at Powell Butte

we’re not advo-

cating to banish

them, but we

need everyone’s help in mak-

ing sure they don’t harm

wildlife or scare other park

users.

We want to make sure not to

over-love our commons so it

continues to offer enjoyment

and beauty for all. Thanks to

the many people who take

care of Powell Butte.

Meetings every 3rd

Thursday of the month, 7:00

p.m. at the Caretaker’s house

to discuss with Portland

Parks and Water Bureau

issues and solutions at

Powell Butte. Come help

shape our direction.

Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, bugwood.org

Over-LovingPOWELLBUTTE

ofof

The

By Jim Chasse

I live in an urban forest with

approximately 65 trees on 5

adjoining properties contribut-

ing to the forest. It is not unlike

many properties in the

Powellhurst-Gilbert neighbor-

hood. These tree covered lots

have been disappearing as a

result of the housing infill proj-

ects our neighborhood has

accepted since being annexed

into the City of Portland. So

when the house behind me

became vacant about 7 years

ago, it was a forgone conclu-

sion on my part that it would

be developed with higher den-

sity housing and we would

lose most of the 25 trees when

developed.

The house had been board-

ed up for years after a fire on

the second floor of the 2800

square foot house had done

damage to the upstairs, and

water from putting the fire out

did substantial damage to the

ceilings and the hardwood

floors below. It seemed as

though it was

destined to be

a tear down

project for

some develop-

er. The news

finally came

that a builder

had purchased

the house last

August.

I met the new

owners shortly

after the pur-

chase and was

totally surprised

to learn they

had purchased the property

for their primary residence.

Jeff and Roberta Krogman

had bought the house to live

in. Roberta assured me they

had no plans to develop the

parcel, but were instead on a

fast track to do repairs to the

house so they could move in

by October 1st. I was still

skeptical. Then the work to

repair the house started. All

new windows for the house

(43 all total), then the hard-

wood floors were removed

from the ground floor, and as

much salvaged as possible to

repair the 2nd story floor dam-

age. A crew was out to rebuild

the chimney, and high climb-

ing tree experts to trim and

assess all the fir trees. The

work was being done at a fran-

tic pace. I was finally con-

vinced that the property was

not going to be subdivided.

The potential still exists, which

is one of the reasons they pur-

chased the property; a good

investment for the future. They

were finally able to move in

about the 1st of December.

Jeff, a bicycle rider, wanted a

home close to the Springwater

Corridor and a place under the

trees he could sit and read a

book. He thinks he found it on

this property with all the fir

trees. Roberta seems to relish

the challenge of restoring the

grand old house built in 1930.

Both saw the potential for the

property and realized what a

special place it is. I'd like to

welcome them to the neigh-

borhood.

My neighbor Wally

Wesselink, who has 15 tower-

ing firs in his backyard, says

that people go into the woods

looking for a camping spot just

like our urban forest, and if

they find it, they think they are

in heaven. I tend to agree with

the old sage.

New neighbors on SE 118th

Photo by Jim Chasse

Jeff and Roberta Krogman in front of their new

house on SE 118th Avenue.

By Alesia Reese

Parkrose Middle School’s

cast of “Captain Bree and Her

Lady Pirates” entertained the

Parkrose School Board and

public at its Business meeting.

The musical presented the

opportunity to once again

demonstrate the talents of the

students and the support of

staff and parents. Parkrose

Middle School has developed

its performing arts activities

into a program which interests

and supports its students while

entertaining the community.

Photo by Alesia Reese

Ahoy matey!

SpeedingOn Your

NeighborhoodStreet?_______

Call the TrafficSafety Hotline

503-823-SAFE (7233)

Page 6 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

By Fred Sanchez

Several Halsey Street busi-

ness owners and neighbors

are disgusted with the

increase in graffiti on their

street. They’ve banded togeth-

er to try to come up with a

solution to keep their neigh-

borhood clean and livable.

When 111th SQUARE was

tagged last month, Leasing

Broker, Fred Sanchez immedi-

ately scrubbed the graffiti off

the brick on the Halsey Street

entrance to El Indio Mexican

Restaurant, then called his

neighbors to organize a team

to eliminate it from the street.

Neighbors Tom Owen and

Sharon Miller and business

owners Color Authority’s Tom

Mahoney and Postal Place’s

Debra Edwards joined Fred to

get a GRIP on their street.

They recognize that the City

of Portland can’t be every-

where for everyone in these

tough economic times, so

they’re developing a Graffiti

Removal in Progress plan.

Portland has an existing

Graffiti Abatement Program

and GRIP will report graffiti on

Halsey Street to their data-

base and solicit their advice

and expertise. Those who

cannot enter the reports online

can drop off them off at Postal

Place. They’ve donated a

mailbox for the team and other

citizens to drop off reports of

locations and photos of graffiti.

The all volunteer team

believes that quick action to

remove the graffiti is essential

to stopping its spread. They’ll

work with the City, Portland

Police, property owners and

tenants up and down the

street to get a GRIP on Halsey

Street.

They envision GRIP teams

for other streets in the area.

Sharon Miller is documenting

the teams’ progress and will

share their successes and fail-

ures with other teams who

want to get a GRIP on their

street. This team is concen-

trating solely on graffiti

removal. They encourage

businesses and residents with

other concerns to become

actively involved with their

business and neighborhood

associations to promote liv-

ability and prosperity.

Get a GRIP on Halsey Street – graffiti removal in progress

Photo by Fred Sanchez

By Carol Krikana

Eight years ago I moved to

East County’s Parkrose

Neighborhood because I

liked what I saw. I saw beau-

tiful shades of colors and

heard whisperings of interest-

ing stories to be told of tri-

umph and courage. I felt the

need to experience some-

thing different in my root sys-

tem; love for a community.

Parkrose is the most diverse

neighborhood in Portland.

This is something I gravitated

towards and something I

have learned exponentially

about over the years.

I have come across many of

my neighborhood’s best and

worst complexities by walking

my dog. We all know the

health benefits for the walker

and dog, but there are also

many benefits to the commu-

nity. Try walking your dog on

NE Sandy Blvd on a regular

basis. For me, this has been

a true barometer to deter-

mine where the neighbor-

hood is headed. My conclu-

sion is the energy is headed

towards a positive future. It’s

slow, but steady, and definite-

ly moving towards a healthy,

balanced, diverse business

district, and pedestrian-

friendly walking boulevard.

Thankfully, I see no signs of

gentrification but evidence of

care and pride for a sense of

community. There are many

more steps to be taken and

bricks to lie before we can

say all the jewels are glittery.

It’s slow but steady towards

progress in the name of bal-

ance.

In addition to the eyes on

the neighborhood, my dog

and I have been extremely

grateful for the one true open

space in the neighborhood,

Parkrose High School. The

multiple large fields, the

trees, Peace Labyrinth

(thanks so much, Sharron),

and the fabulous views of Mt

Hood and Mt St Helens have

been simple pleasures. It’s a

place of peace and contem-

plation where I can see my

dog run free and light while

frolicking with other dogs in

the neighborhood; all within

walking distance.

The recent ban of animals

on the Parkrose School

District’s property has put a

damper on many dog own-

ers' routines. The ban was

voted in by the school board

purely on the basis of own-

ers not cleaning up after their

dogs. I agree people should

clean up after their dogs.

There are countless reasons

why one should, but this is

not why I write. For the most

part, the various neighbors

I’ve met are responsible dog

owners who clean up after

their dogs. Sometimes one

forgets or runs out of bags

so some were provided by

“friends of dog walkers”. The

bag dispenser was provided,

filled and replenished not by

one neighbor but many

neighbors who, with grass-

roots inspiration started car-

ing about their neighborhood

spot. It worked and it can

still flourish. It was slow but

steady groundwork for com-

munity involvement and so it

can be still.

Those who do not clean up

after their dog will most cer-

tainly ignore the ban. Since

the ban I’ve actually noticed

an increase in “dog-mess,”

litter, beer cans, etc, on the

property. In the past, many

owners would cleanup the

debris while they walked.

Since the ban, graffiti has

sprung up around the prop-

erty. I’m not alone in thinking

that when people are out

walking, talking, and playing

with their children or dogs,

crime is deterred. Those

who do criminal acts do not

want the neighbors out and

about on foot.

Like many East County

neighborhoods, Parkrose

Neighborhood Association

struggles to find ways to

reach out to the community,

encourage enthusiasm and

contribution through commu-

nity involvement and vision.

How can we find out what

our neighbors need and

want within the community?

How can we tap into the

desire many have to serve

the community and others?

How? Dogs playing together

while neighbors talked

amongst each other was cer-

tainly a big step in a positive

direction. We can find a

win/win solution to this ban

at PHS. Surely, we can.

One more thing, please

bear with me. Since the ban

on animals at PHS, I see

very little of the neighbors

I’ve met over the years.

Please allow me to say hello

to the nurse who has taught

me so much, the Chinese

medicine students, the

downtown chef who made

healthy dog treats for my dog

(Thank you! He loved them),

the holistic doctor, the young

couple with the yellow dog,

the woman with so much

Goodwill, Larry who has

degrees in philosophy and

physics, Jake’s momma, the

Blueberry’s, the blond who

can out-walk the walkers and

countless others who’ve

played with my dog and give

so many a sense of commu-

nity. Keep walking! From

Carol and her big red dog.

Dogs take bite out of crime

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By Alesia Reese

Citizens of East Portland

welcomed the Portland City

Council and a host of elected

representatives to witness the

acceptance of the East

Portland Action Plan. The

Plan was developed by a

unique coalition of interests

which included schools, busi-

nesses and government to

transform East Portland.

Gateway Urban Renewal

Committee chair Bob Earnest

presented supporting testimo-

ny on the Plan.

Photos by Alesia Reese

Parkrose School District was

represented by Board member

Katie Larsell and

Superintendent Karen Gray.

East Portland Actionplan united

By Arlene Kimura

As we get more news about

how much money government

agencies do not have, and,

are not likely to have anytime

soon, all of us need to partici-

pate and comment in whatev-

er ways we can. We are all

trying to balance the limited

dollars with critical programs. I

urge all of you to comment on

the proposed budgets for the

city, the county, the local

school districts. If we do not

comment and/or call, officials

are going to assume we don’t

care. I know that is not true

because when City Council

came out to the Library, there

was standing room only.

It isn’t all gloomy however.

On February 19th, Linda

Robinson and I went to a gath-

ering of the “Connecting

Green” group at Keen

Footwear. There were lots of

folks there, from the trails

advocates to those interested

in recreational parks, and

everything between. We as a

community have made some

progress in focusing on parks

and open space as critical

pieces of our infrastructure,

rather than a nice amenity.

We want to continue to make

that point.

Reminders:

April 25th, 82nd, The Avenue

of Roses, Community Parade,

from 9:00am to about

10:30am. The next Hazelwood

general meeting is on May 18,

at 6:30 PM, at the East

Portland Neighborhood

Office.

Hazelwood News

East Portland Neighborhood News April 2009 Page 7

By Jane Turville

Would you like to create a gar-

den but aren’t quite sure where

to start? Do you feel that estab-

lishing a new garden by yourself

will take too much time and

money? Perhaps you live in an

apartment that doesn’t have

space for a garden? If you

answered “Yes” to any of these

questions, then please join

Parkrose United Methodist

Church (PUMC) this spring and

summer to create the Parkrose

Heights Community Garden.

If you have ever planted a seed

and watched it punch up

through the earth, then wit-

nessed that sprout turn into a

vine hanging with tomatoes, you

know that you have participated

in a powerful spiritual event. It is

an experience to be celebrated

and shared with others. It is

“hand-in-the dirt spirituality”.

PUMC sees this as a

powerful way to under-

stand ourselves and

each other and will pro-

vide all of our neigh-

bors with the opportu-

nity to be part of this

extraordinary experi-

ence.

You may have noticed

that work has begun at

the garden’s location

near the corner of NE

111th and Knott. Once the water-

ing system and fence are com-

plete, PUMC will build raised

beds, create small garden plots

and establish an outdoor gather-

ing area. Those who are interest-

ed can sign up to use one of the

raised beds or plots and start

growing food this summer.

PUMC will have master garden-

ers available to answer ques-

tions and help gardeners get

started. Seeds and plants for the

community garden will be avail-

able at no cost and, thanks to a

generous grant, the cost of water

for this year will be covered.

Maybe the thought of taking on

a garden project, even with help,

seems too overwhelming for you

right now. If so, consider volun-

teering for one of PUMC’s

upcoming workdays. In just a

couple of hours, you can make a

big difference for the community.

Perhaps you have been an avid

gardener in the past and have

experience to share with others.

We welcome your input.

Parkrose Heights Community

Garden is not your average

community garden. Sure, learn-

ing gardening techniques will be

a big part of the effort. But

there’s much more. Remember

that “hands-in-the-dirt spirituali-

ty” mentioned previously? That’s

what Parkrose Heights

Community Garden is about. It’s

about getting to know each

other by getting your hands in

the soil. It’s about discovering

emotional, mental, physical and

spiritual renewal through the

experience of planting, nurturing

and harvesting food. Your partic-

ipation in the garden project –

whether it be a half-day to help

create a raised bed, a several

month commitment to plant and

care for a garden plot, or the

sharing of your own gardening

knowledge with others – guar-

antees that “hands-in-the-dirt

spirituality” grows in our commu-

nity, bringing our neighbors clos-

er to each other as well as the

land.

To learn more about the

Parkrose Heights Community

Garden project or find out how

you can help, please contact

Pastor Bill Gates (503) 253-

7567 or vist www.parkrose-

umc.org.

Parkrose Heights Community Garden

All P

hoto

s by Jane T

urville

By Mike Vander Veen

I have taken the plunge into

Facebook in recent months and

reconnected with past school-

mates. Acomment sent my way

churned up the story that fol-

lows. The comment? “I can't

imagine living in a neighbor-

hood again after being out [in

the country]. It makes me feel

icky just driving through them.”

My response (after posting sev-

eral photos on Facebook)…

Today I walked to the Grand

Opening of the new pool at the

East Portland Community

Center near my home. My

youngest and I skipped past

homes of neighbors that have

lent me tools and allowed me to

help them in need. We jogged

past the retirement center

where a member of our church

lives that isn't feeling well

enough for us to give her a ride

any more. We trotted with

enthusiasm past a couple

apartment complexes where

many fellow students and

classmates live, remembering

birthdays celebrated.

Once at the community cen-

ter, my youngest endured sev-

eral conversations I had with

friends and acquaintances, we

listened to some short speech

making, saw the ribbon cutting,

and enjoyed chocolate cake

together. The pool was at

capacity within minutes and

stayed that way through three

sessions – steady traffic on the

big red slide.

After cake and plenty more

conversation (boring for the

youngster), we

ran into a best

friend of my

youngest. Her

family was set to

swim during the

second session.

We secured the

last slot in the

second session,

headed home,

back through our

neighborhood,

for some lunch

and a swimming

suit, then

returned to the pool to swim on

“Opening Day.”

While they swam, I walked a

few blocks from the community

center and got on the list for a

hair cut from my man Charles.

"30 minutes" was the wait. "Hey

Mike" I heard from behind. A fel-

low Cherry Park Elementary

parent was there with his two

kids. I know them all by name

since I worked at Cherry Park

for three and a half years. After

catching up with them a bit, I

walked over to the bank and

deposited some checks.

I returned in time to see

Charles starting in on my

friend's son (who I had super-

vised on the playground in his

younger days - good kid doing

well in math and wrestling).

"Were you even here?" I

jibbed as they left, bushy hair

just out of the eyes. Charles

snipped, buzzed and fed me

the latest jokes, politics on the

side. It started to rain. I head-

ed back to the pool and called

for support. My wife picked us

up even though the youngest

and I were both already wet.

I haven’t had a day quite like

this one ever, but especially

since I married into a car. I've

been riding my bike more in

recent weeks, but still use the

car quite a bit. Just months

ago, even in decent weather, I

might of used the car for short

trips all day hunting for parking

spaces. Today I walked

passed well over a hundred

full parking spaces. Who

knows when I will again? It's

not an established pattern yet

for me. I greatly enjoyed this

opportunity. I hope to do it

more. I encourage you to get

out, walk, greet people, and

tell stories that mean some-

thing to you.

A Day In Hazelwood: History in the Making

Photos by Mike Vander Veen

Michelle Winningham with Doug Brenner,

PP&R East Zone Manager

By Fred Sanchez

Gateway Area Business Association

Who are Gateway’s Citizens

of the Year? They’re individuals

who have demonstrated com-

mitment to the community,

advancing its commercial, eco-

nomic, financial, industrial,

safety and civic interests. They

meet and cooperate with gov-

ernmental agencies on matters

of concern to business and

support area Neighborhood

Associations and community

groups. They are outstanding

supporters of Gateway Area

Business Association (GABA)

and the community.

Selection Committee mem-

bers, Karen Gray,

Superintendent of Parkrose

School District, Barbara

Rommel, Superintendent of

David Douglas School District,

Commander Michael Crebs of

Portland Police East Precinct,

Javier Gutierrez, Manager of

Midland Regional Library and

Fred Sanchez, President of

Realty brokers, unanimously

nominated Senator Jeff

Merkley as Gateway’s 2009

Citizen of the Year. GABA has

grown up with Jeff Merkley.

Fred and Barbara brag about

Merkley’s stint as Student Body

President of David Douglas

High School. He and his family

have lived on Portland’s east

side for many years. He partici-

pated at GABA meetings in the

early 1990’s as director of

Habitat for Humanity. When he

became Oregon’s

Representative and then

Speaker of the House, Merkley

was a regular contributor at

local meetings and business

events.

Gateway is proud to honor

Senator Jeff Merkley as 2009

Citizen of the Year.

Past Gateway Citizens

of the Year include:

2001 Jane Baker

2002 Mary Doherty and

Carolyn Schell

2003 Michael Wieseman

2004 Neil Jensen

2005 Iris Newhouse

2006 Jacob Mosbrucker

2007 Fred Sanchez

2008 Barbara Rommel

Gateway’s Citizens of the Year

Page 8 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

By Carol Williams

A Spring preview is definitely

apparent in our neighborhood.

Just take a walk in Knott Park

and you can see the budding

greenery starting to bloom for

another season. While you're

there, visit the Kiosk located in

the center of the park by the

playground area for updates,

notices and neighborhood

association news regarding

your neighborhood. We have

a very energetic board work-

ing on many different issues

including livability, improve-

ments (for example side-

walks), bike patrols and other

items. We welcome your input

and encourage you to volun-

teer for a project you have

interest in. There are two com-

munity gardens in the plan-

ning stages for Parkrose

Heights. Parkrose United

Methodist Church has already

received a grant to help fund

their garden and Sacramento

School has plans for expan-

sion of their garden and will be

applying for a grant in the near

future. These gardens will pro-

vide a place for volunteers to

help, residents to come and

enjoy and sit or visit, and most

of all, help families deal with

the economy in giving them a

place to grow their own

healthy food.

Spring preview is definitely apparent in our neighborhood

By Stephen Jenkevice

The Centennial Lions Club is in

the process of reorganizing their

club by seeking new members,

doing community projects, fund

raising, etc. Just recently a pro-

posal was made to the East

Portland Neighborhood

Coalition of 13 communities.

The neighborhood associations

agreed to partner with the

Centennial Lions club on com-

munity projects.

The Centennial Lions are

made up of volunteers mainly

from the East Country area.

“We believe we truly make a dif-

ference in our communities by

reaching out to people and

assisting with eye glasses or

hearing aid purchases, provid-

ing small gifts at Christmas to

elderly in care homes, awarding

youth scholarships, and by

providing food and gifts during

the holidays to ‘adopted fami-

lies’, just to name a few things”

said Centennial President

Richard Kohl .

Lions are an international net-

work of 1.4 million men and

women in 200 countries and

geographic areas who work

together to answer the needs

that challenge communities

around the world. Known for

working to end preventable

blindness, Lions participate in a

vast variety of projects important

to their communities. These

projects range from cleaning up

local parks to providing supplies

to victims of natural disasters.

To see how Lions continue to

make a difference everyday and

everywhere, go to www.lion-

sclubs.org.

The Centennial Lions Club has

at its disposal, 2 beautiful semi

trucks that can provide vital

health checks to people of all

ages through the Mobile Health

Screening Unit (MHSU)

Program. The MHSU trucks

can be set up at neighborhood

events, when available, and

staffed by local Lions Club mem-

bers who donate their time and

perform health tests to the pub-

lic free of charge. The goal of

the MHSU Program’s

Community Screenings is to

provide consistent access to

preventative health screenings

so potentially serious health

issues do not go undiscovered.

By identifying someone’s

Diabetes or high blood pressure,

individuals are empowered to

make the necessary changes to

improve their quality of life. The

Unit also tests for eyesight and

hearing problems. Since 1994,

Lions Have Provided 303,066

FREE Health Screenings and

Discovered 129,939 Potentially

Devastating Health Issues.

East Portland Neighborhood AssociationsPartner with Centennial Lions Club

By Arlene Kimura

On Saturday, March 7th, the Friends of

Trees organized a planting of about 40

trees at the Hazelwood Hydropark. The

project was organized by the Friends of

Trees along with many other community

partners. Many thanks to Vinette

Kennedy-Scott and Whitney Kabanuk

who are the neighborhood coordinators

with Friends of Trees.

Vinette also wanted to express thanks

to the following folks who helped to

implement the hydro park event: We

know Friends of Trees can't do it alone,

it takes the support of many volunteers

and sponsors such as IKEA and the City

of Portland. Others like Brian Heron and

his church Eastminster Presbyterian

Church gave of himself and his church

as a staging site and breakfast gathering

for the Feb 28th planting. We also must

give thanks for the support we received

from LaChelle Odgen, manager for

Starbucks coffee located at the SE 119th

and Division Street; who donated 6 gal-

lons of Starbucks house blend brewed

coffee and one gallon of decaf for our

volunteer crew. This complimented the

many donations of pastries and drinks

(tea, cocoa, orange juice, and apple

cider) supplied by homeowners, volun-

teers, and Friends of Trees staff.

Hazelwood also wishes to say thank

you to Portland Parks, Portland Water

Bureau, Friends of Community Gardens,

and the neighbors who helped out.

The Hazelwood Hydroparknow has trees galore

By Tom Lewis

Ya know we’ll get out of this econom-

ic quagmire when more things seem

normal. In reflecting, you start to rec-

ognize, ya just got somewhere, or just

left. Of course reflection on history only

comes with age; the older you get, the

larger your bank of knowledge.

As our community gets built around

us, I begin to want things that my his-

tory tells me are of most value. One of

these is representation in government

decisions. By picking our battles,

we’ve learned conquering can be slow

and tough, or slower and tougher. The

time spent on these battles nearer my

home has been most fulfilling.

While daily living can become routine,

it is exciting to keep my eyes open, so

I notice new, old things. Our neighbor-

hood association was approached

with a notion of a remote police station

located on our border with Gresham.

This rest stop for our East Precinct offi-

cers came with the realization that our

neighborhood extends beyond our

geographic boundaries. Because as

more than a few of us know, this is the

area we trade in; but to have a officer

show us we have no boundaries; this

was a duh! moment.

Our association had the privilege of

recognizing Meadowland businesses

(174th and Powell Boulevard) and

patrol officers this last week. Please

join me in taking pride in moving our

neighborhood forward in spite of the

economy or government actions.

Enjoy these new old things changing

as we build our neighborhood assets.

Keeping my eyes open

BOARD MEETINGS: 3rd

Tuesday of each month except

December (no meeting)

GENERAL MEETINGS: 4th

Tuesdays of January, March,

June and September

TIME: All meetings begin at

7 p.m.

PLACE: Parkrose United

Methodist Church, 11111 N. E.

Knott

Please join us. For further

information you may contact

Carol Williams, 503-255-9596,

carolsmailbox@msn.com

Photo by Arlene Kimura

Brighton West, Friends of Trees, checking the soil preparation for the fruit trees along

the north side of the community gardens before planting.

By Leslie Pohl-Kosbau

Portland Parks & Recreation Community Gardens

Portland’s newest community garden

opened this past weekend in east

Portland. Located at SE 127th and

Market, the new Peace Community

Garden is a partnership between

Portland Parks & Recreation and the

Peace Church of the Brethren.

This is the 32nd community garden

in the program and the third one

established in the past two years east

of 92nd Ave. The new garden, located

on land owned by the church, is 0.20

acres and features 16 plots and two

accessible raised beds, a shed, and a

work table.

If you are interested in applying to

have a garden plot, contact PP&R

Community Gardens at 503.823.1612

or comgardens@ci.portland.or.us. To

learn more about the Community

Garden program, or to get a schedule

of free vegetable gardening and com-

posting classes, visit www.portland-

parks.org and click on the Nature tab.

PP&R’s Community Garden pro-

gram has provided gardening oppor-

tunities for the physical and social

benefit of the people and neighbor-

hoods of Portland since 1975. These

community gardens are located

throughout the city and they are main-

tained by volunteers and Portland

Parks and Recreation staff.

Peace Community Garden now open

East Portland Neighborhood News April 2009 Page 9

By Linda Robinson

On a beautiful Saturday morning

in early February, more than 30

bicyclists gathered at the Gateway

MAX station for a tour of the pro-

posed Gateway Green site, fol-

lowed by a design workshop

(charrette) to explore the opportu-

nity to develop a world-class

cycling facility in east Portland.

Participants were divided into

small groups where they brain-

stormed what kind of biking activi-

ties they would like to see at the

site. While an amazing number of

ideas surfaced, the consultants

holding the workshop found sever-

al common themes which they

developed into a Bicycle Concept

Plan.

Special thanks to the Crossroads

Christian Church who provided

use of their Senior Center Building

for the workshop portion of the

event, to Bill's Pizza Baron for a

discount on the pizzas, and to the

Hazelwood Neighborhood

Association for providing coffee

and pastries at the start of the

meeting. In addition, a very special

acknowledgment for the pro bono

work done by Chris Bernhardt

(Alta Planning & Design), Jill

VanWinkle (International Mountain

Biking Assn), and Tom Archer

(Portland United Mountain

Pedalers) to plan and lead the

"Kick the Dirt" charrette and pre-

pare the Bicycle Concept Plan.

As many of you already know,

the Gateway Green project will be

located on vacant land at the inter-

section if I-205 and I-84, land

owned by ODOT. While supportive

of the project, ODOT staff keep

reminding us frequently that there

are still a number of hoops to jump

through before permission to

develop the site can be granted,

including the crafting of an inter-

governmental agreement or lease

between ODOT and the other enti-

ties that will develop, manage and

maintain the site. The primary par-

ties have agreed to start negotiat-

ing the terms of this agreement.

The Bicycle Concept Plan was

shared with key stakeholders at

Oregon Department of

Transportation (ODOT), Portland

Parks and Recreation (PP&R),

Oregon Parks & Recreation

Department (OPRD) and Metro on

March 12th and 13th -- where it

was received with enthusiasm.

The Plan will be shared with the

public at the next Gateway Green

Open House, which will be at the

Gateway Elks Lodge (711 NE

100th Ave) from 7:00 to 8:30 pm

on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. We

hope to see you there.

Photos by Linda Robinson

‘Kick the Dirtat Gateway Green’

Event in February andopen house in April

By Mark White

The Powellhurst-Gilbert

Neighborhood has launched an

effort to bring some much needed

improvements to West

Powellhurst Park. The effort

began and is being driven by

Powellhurst-Gilbert community

volunteer and Vice President

Elaine Medcalf.

Elaine lives near West

Powellhurst Park and has single-

handedly helped bring some

much needed attention to this long

neglected park. West Powellhurst

Park is the only park in

Powellhurst-Gilbert north of SE

Powell Boulevard. The

Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood

north of SE Powell Boulevard

stretches from SE 82nd to SE

143rd between SE Powell and SE

Division. That’s a very large area

for only one park, especially if it is

not improved.

Elaine’s efforts began when she

spoke to City of Portland Planning

liaison Barry Manning, who

brought in the Parks Bureau to

look at what could be done. With

the City facing significant budget

cuts, it was definitely going to be a

challenge to make something

happen. However, the newly

formed group was able to come

up with a plan that will bring some

simple and relatively inexpensive

changes to the park quickly that

will help to make it much more

user-friendly. Additional improve-

ments will be done incrementally

as funds become available.

Larry Kotan of Hands On Greater

Portland is also a part of the steer-

ing committee and will be helping

to recruit volunteers through the

organization. This will be Hands

On Greater Portland’s first activity

in the Powellhurst-Gilbert

Neighborhood.

This effort is a shining example of

not only how one person can

make a difference, but how we

can still bring improvements to the

Neighborhood in tremendously

challenging economic times just

by working together.

With some strong community

volunteer efforts to help make

things happen, West Powellhurst

Park will have a wonderful walking

path and some new signage this

Fall. The Neighborhood is com-

mitted to supporting ongoing

efforts to bring improvements to

West Powellhurst Park.

For more information on volun-

teering for path construction

(spreading bark dust) in the Fall or

for more information about the

overall improvement efforts,

please contact Mark White at

markpdx@spiritone.com or via

telephone at 503-761-0222.

Photo by Mark White

503-256-3910503-256-3910

EC

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By Ron Clemenson

In these difficult economic times

with revenue shortfalls, I would be

"preaching to the choir" to advise

you on the best approach to the

crisis you face in the budget

process. However, I am suggest-

ing in regard to the East County

Justice Center that you rethink the

change you are considering to

build in East Gresham, rather than

Rockwood.

East Gresham will not serve the

long held recommendations and

needs of the people of East

Multnomah County, nor the long-

term safety and stability of

Rockwood and surrounding com-

munities. You all know the recent

history of this area and all the right

reasons this project is vital and

needs to be built in Rockwood as

planned and as promised!

As a capital expense project, a

bold and new action plan must be

brought forward to seek a cooper-

ative meeting of the minds

between business, labor, and key

government leaders to find out if

patriotism, in the economic sense,

actually exists, to the extent that

the old way of doing business can

be changed and to build a multi-

purpose facility as originally

planned, but with cost reductions

based upon minimum profits to all

contractors and maximum labor

efficiencies and banking support.

This will be a true test of ingenuity

and dedication by all!

And from the County leadership,

we need an all-out , out of the, box

strategy to sell unused properties

at bargain prices including selling

Wapato to the Federal

Government or in exchange for

funds from the State and Federal

"stimulus" packages, etc.

Whatever can be achieved.

This is a time for bold leadership

both for the short and the long

term, for the good of the communi-

ties the Justice Center will serve,

and for local economic recovery,

which is so vital for job creation,

needed public services and the

growth and development for the

greater good of all concerned.

It is time to act and do so quickly

and with bold leadership.

Open letter to Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler

Powellhurst-Gilbert effort toimprove west Powellhurst Park

Page 10 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

happening neighborhoodsSaturday, April 4Parkrose High School

“Bronco Boosters” Can

Collection, 9am-1pm,

Parkrose Middle School, 11800

NE Shaver. Donations of

refundable plastics/cans/bottles

to support the PHS Scholarship

Program. Call Dave Luce at

503-255-3745. 1st Saturday of

each month.

Mill Park Neighborhood

Association, 3pm, Midland

Library, 805 SE 122nd Avenue.

General meeting. Contact

MPNA Chair Rosemarie Opp at

503-256-4591.

Tuesday, April 7East Precinct Citizen's

Advisory Committee, 6-8pm,

East Precinct Community

Room, 737 SE 106th (use side

doors). Hosted by East Precinct

Commander Mike Crebs.

Public welcome. Meets the 1st

Tuesday of each month.

Wednesday, April 8East Portland Land Use

Committee, 6:30-8pm, East

Portland Neighborhood Office,

1017 NE 117th. Meets the 2nd

Wednesday of each month.

Thursday, April 9Lents Neighborhood

Association, 6-8pm, New

Copper Penny, 5932 SE 92nd

& Foster. Board meeting.

Contact LNA Chair Damien

Chakwin at 503-282-5819 or

damien@ilovelents.com and

LNA Vice-Chair Wes Wolfe at

503-760-5751 or

weswolfe@uci.net.

Culture Sharing Conver-

sation, 11am-2pm, Our United

Villages’ Conference Room,

3625 N Mississippi Ave, Listen

to and learn from one another as

we tell our own stories. For more

info and RSVP

503.546.7499x117 or

info@ourunitedvillages.org.

Monday, April 13P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood Association, 7-

9pm, Powellhurst Baptist

Church, 3435 SE 112th. General

meeting. Contact PGNA Chair

Mark White at 503-761-0222 or

markpdx@spiritone.com.

Tuesday, April 14Centennial Community

Association, 7-8:50pm,

Harold Oliver Intermediate

School, 15840 SE Taylor.

General meeting. Contact

CCA Chair Tom Lewis at 503-

253-5025 or

GAMODATO@aol.com.

Wilkes Community Group,

7pm, Eastminster Presbyterian

Church, 12505 NE Halsey.

General Meeting. Contact Alice

Blatt at 503-253-6247 or

aliceb@pacifier.com or call

EPNO at 503-823-4550.

Gateway Green Bicycle

Concept Plan Open House,

7-8:30pm. Gateway Elks

Lodge, 711 NE 100th. Contact

Linda Robinson at 503-261-

9566 or lrobinsPDX@com-

cast.net.

Thursday, April 16 Russell Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm, Western

States Chiropractic College,

2900 NE 132nd. General

meeting. Contact RNA Co-

Chair Bonny McKnight at 503-

253-6848 or bonnymck@com-

cast.net.

Citywide Landlord Forum,

6:30-8:30pm, East Portland

Neighborhood Office, 1017 NE

117th. Contact Rosanne Lee,

Crime Prevention Coordinator at

503-823-3505 or

rosanne.lee@ci.portland.or.us.

Citywide Parks Team, 7-

9pm, Portland City Hall, 1221

SW 4th Avenue, Rose Room.

Contact Linda Robinson at

lrobinsPDX@comcast.net.

Saturday, April 18P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Committees – Human

Solutions Community Room,

12350 SE Powell, Greening,

10:30-11:30am, contact

Dolores Wood at 503-760-6773

or dw_tutorials@yahoo.com.

Outreach and Membership,

11:30am-12:30pm, contact

Joe Graun at 808-348-1951 or

jgraun@hotmail.com.

Public Safety, 1:30-2:30pm,

contact Tom Barnes at 503-761-

6614 or omdy12@msn.com.

East Portland Home-own-

ership Fair , 10am-2pm,

Kelly Elementary School,

9030 SE Cooper.

Homeownership Workshops,

Door Prizes, Youth Activities,

Community Resources.

Interpreters on-site. Raffle for

$4,000 Homebuyer Grant.

Contact Amie Diffenauer at

503-788-8052 x105 or

amie@rosecdc.org.

Monday, April 20Hazelwood Neighborhood

Association, 6:30-8:30pm,

East Portland Neighborhood

Office, 1017 NE 117th. Board

meeting. Contact HNA Chair

Arlene Kimura at 503-252-

9429 or

arlene.kimura@kraft.com.

Lents Food Group, 6:30pm-

8:30pm, Pilgrim Lutheran

Church Basement, 4244 SE

91st meeting, Help to increase

healthy food access in Lents!

Tuesday, April 21Argay Neighborhood

Association, 7-8:30pm, Fire

Station #2, 4800 NE 122nd.

Board meeting. Contact Argay

Info 503-256-5579 or argayin-

fo@yahoo.com.

Parkrose Heights

Association of Neighbors, 7-

9pm, Parkrose United

Methodist Church, 11111 NE

Knott. Board meeting. Contact

PHAN Chair Carol Williams at

503-255-9596 or carolsmail-

box@msn.com.

Parkrose Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm, Faithful

Savior Ministries, 11100 NE

Skidmore. General meeting.

Contact PNA Chair at 503-

252-2146 or

parkrosephoenix@gmail.com.

Thursday, April 23Glenfair Neighborhood

Association, 7-8:30pm,

Glenfair Elementary School,

15300 NE Glisan. General

meeting. Contact GNA Chair

David Lister at 360-910-2676

or listerdj@ah.org.

Woodland Park

Neighborhood Association,

6:30-8:00pm, East Portland

Neighborhood Office, 1017

NE 117th. General meeting.

Contact Alesia Reese at 503-

253-4414 or

alesiajmr@yahoo.com.

Friends of Powell Butte,

7pm, Caretaker’s house, SE

161st & Powell. Monthly discus-

sions with Portland Parks and

Water Bureau on issues and

solutions at Powell Butte. Come

help shape our direction. Meets

3rd Thursday each month.

2009 Annual Eastport Plaza

Carnival, Hours TBA.

FUNtastic Carnival Rides &

Games. Eastport Plaza, 4000

SE 82nd Avenue.

Saturday, April 25ONI Ready. Safe. Go. Safety

& Preparedness Event,

8:30am-3pm. Warner-Pacific

College, 2219 SE 68th.

Registration deadline: April 9th.

Register - 503-823-4064 or

www.portlandonline.com/oni/cp.

Training workshops to gain

crime prevention and critical

emergency preparedness skills.

Awards ceremony to honor fel-

low community members.

82nd Avenue of Roses Parade,

9am. Eastport Plaza, 4000 SE

82nd. North from Eastport Plaza

along 82nd to SE Yamhill. Contact

Johnni Jones via email at

johnni. jones@gmail.com.

Registration begins at 7:30am and

ends at 8:30 am.

Eastport Community Fair &

Classic Car Cruise-In, 10am.

Classic Car Cruz-in, Live music

Stilt Walkers, Juggling Clowns,

FREE interactive Community

Fair, and KGON 92.3.

Monday, April 27Citywide Land Use Forum,

7-9pm, 1900 SW 4th Avenue,

Room 2500B. Call Bonny

McKnight at 503-253-6848 or

bonnymck@comcast.net.

Partners for a Safe &

Livable Portland (PSLEP),

6:00-7:30pm, East Portland

Neighborhood Office, 1017

NE 117th. Call Arlene Kimura

at 503-252-9429 or

arlene.kimura@kraft.com.

Tuesday, April 28 Lents Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm, Lents

Adventist Church Gym, 8835

SE Woodstock. General meet-

ing. Contact LNA Chair Damien

Chakwin at 503-282-5819 or

damien@ilovelents.com and

LNA Vice-Chair Wes Wolfe at

503-760-5751 or

weswolfe@uci.net.

Wednesday, April 29Pleasant Valley Neighbor-

hood Association, 7-9pm,

Pleasant Valley Grange Hall,

17115 SE Foster. General

meeting. Contact PVNA Chair

Linda Bauer at 503-761-2941

or lbauerpvna@aol.com.

Lents Food Co-op, 6-8pm,

Pilgrim Lutheran Church base-

ment, 4244 SE 91st. Planning

for public forum.

Wednesday, May 6East Portland Neighbor-

hood Organization, 7-9pm,

East Portland Neighborhood

Office, 1017 NE 117th. Contact

Richard Bixby, EPNO Director

at 503-823-4501. Meets the 1st

Wednesday of each month.

Thursday, May 7East Portland Parks

Coalition, 6:30-8pm, East

Portland Neighborhood Office,

1017 NE 117th. Contact Alesia

Reese at 503-253-4414 or ale-

siajmr@yahoo.com. Meets the

1st Thursday of each month.

Saturday, May 9East Portland Neighbor-

hoods Annual Cleanup,

9am-1pm, NE 122nd &

Halsey. Contact Carol

Williams for info at 503-255-

9596 or

carolsmailbox@msn.com.

Prepaid reservations are

being taken now. Call EPNO

at 503-823-4550 or pickup

form at 1017 NE 117th.

Monday, May 11Mill Park Neighborhood

Association, 6:30-8:30pm,

Midland Library, 805 SE

122nd Avenue. General

meeting. Contact MPNA

Chair Rosemarie Opp at 503-

256-4591.

P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Neighborhood Association,

7-9pm, Powellhurst Baptist

Church, 3435 SE 112th.

General meeting. Contact

PGNA Chair Mark White at

503-761-0222 or

markpdx@spiritone.com.

Tuesday, May 12Centennial Community

Association, 7-8:50pm,

Parklane Church, 16001 SE

Main St. General meeting.

Contact CCA Chair Tom Lewis

at 503-253-5025 or GAMODA-

TO@aol.com.

Wilkes Community Group,

7pm, Meeting location to be

announced. General Meeting.

Contact Alice Blatt at 503-253-

6247 or aliceb@pacifier.com or

call EPNO at 503-823-4550.

Wednesday, May 13East Portland Land Use

Committee, 6:30-8pm, East

Portland Neighborhood Office,

1017 NE 117th. Meets the 2nd

Wednesday of each month.

Thursday, May 14Lents Neighborhood Assoc-

iation, 6-8pm, New Copper

Penny, 5932 SE 92nd & Foster.

Board meeting. Contact LNA

Chair Damien Chakwin at 503-

282-5819 or damien@ilove-

lents.com and LNA Vice-Chair

Wes Wolfe at 503-760-5751 or

weswolfe@uci.net.

Saturday, May 16P o w e l l h u r s t - G i l b e r t

Committees – Human

Solutions Community Room,

12350 SE Powell, Greening,

10:30-11:30am, contact

Dolores Wood at 503-760-6773

or dw_tutorials@yahoo.com.

Outreach and Membership,

11:30am-12:30pm, contact

Joe Graun at 808-348-1951 or

jgraun@hotmail.com.

Public Safety, 1:30-2:30pm,

contact Tom Barnes at 503-761-

6614 or omdy12@msn.com.

Monday, May 18Hazelwood Neighborhood

Association, 6:30-8:30pm,

East Portland Neighborhood

Office, 1017 NE 117th. General

meeting. Contact HNA Chair

Arlene Kimura at 503-252-9429

or arlene.kimura@kraft.com.

Lents Food Group, 6:30pm-

8:30pm, Pilgrim Lutheran

Church Basement, 4244 SE

91st meeting, Help to increase

healthy food access in Lents!

The Lents Food Group helps

with the farmers market, food

buying club, and food co-opera-

tive in Lents. Meets 3rd Monday

each month.

Tuesday, May 19Argay Neighborhood

Association, 7-8:30pm, Fire

Station #2, 4800 NE 122nd.

General meeting. Contact Argay

Info 503-256-5579 or argayin-

fo@yahoo.com.

Parkrose Heights Associ-

ation of Neighbors, 7-9pm,

Parkrose United Methodist

Church, 11111 NE Knott. Board

meeting. Contact PHAN Chair

Carol Williams at 503-255-9596

or carolsmailbox@msn.com.

Parkrose Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm, Faithful

Savior Ministries, 11100 NE

Skidmore. General meeting.

Contact PNA Chair at 503-

252-2146 or

parkrosephoenix@gmail.com.

Adventist Hospital Pavilion

Grand Opening, 11am,

Adventist Medical Center,

10000 SE Main Street

AdventistHealthNW.com

Thursday, May 21 Russell Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm,

Western States Chiropractic

College, 2900 NE 132nd.

General meeting. Contact

RNA Co-Chair Bonny

McKnight at 503-253-6848 or

bonnymck@comcast.net.

Tuesday, May 26 Lents Neighborhood

Association, 7-9pm, Lents

Adventist Church Gym, 8835

SE Woodstock. General meet-

ing. Contact LNA Chair Damien

Chakwin at 503-282-5819 or

damien@ilovelents.com and

LNA Vice-Chair Wes Wolfe at

503-760-5751 or

weswolfe@uci.net.

Renters’ RightsHotline

503-288-0130

East Portland Neighborhood News April 2009 Page 11

Division Street

Stark Street

Halsey Street

Clatsop Street

Powell Boulevard

Sandy Boulevard

Columbia River

eunevA

dn221

eunevA

ht 841

eunevA

dn241

162n

d A

venu

e

eunevA

ht 471

82nd

Ave

nue

eunevA

ht 211

102n

d A

venu

e

Foster Road

Area shared byadjacent neighborhoods

PGNA

PVNA

CCA

GNA

HNA

MPNA

RNAPHAN

PNAANA

WCG

WPNA

LNA

I-205

I-84

WilkesCommunity GroupAlice Blatt503-253-6247 aliceb@pacifier.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 14, 7:00pmEastminster Presbyterian Church12505 NE Halsey Street

GlenfairNeighborhood AssociationDavid Lister360-910-2676listerdj@ah.org

Next Meeting:Thursday, Apr. 23, 7:00pmGlenfair Elementary School15300 NE Glisan

Pleasant ValleyNeighborhood AssociationLinda Bauer503-761-2941lbauerpvna@aol.om

Next Meeting:Wednesday, Apr. 29, 7:00pmPleasant Valley Grange Hall17115 SE Foster Road

Powellhurst/GilbertNeighborhood AssociationMark White503-761-0222markpdx@spiritone.com

Next Meeting:Monday, Apr. 13, 7:00pmPowellhurst Baptist Church3435 SE 112th Avenue

LentsNeighborhood AssociationDamien Chakwin503-282-5819Damien@ilovelents.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 28, 7:00pmLents Adventist Church Gym8835 SE Woodstock Boulevard

Mill ParkNeighborhood AssociationRosemarie Opp503-256-4591

Next Meeting:Saturday, Apr. 4, 3:00pmMidland Library805 SE 122nd Avenue

HazelwoodNeighborhood AssociationArlene Kimura503-252-9429arlene.kimura@kraft.com

Next Meeting:Monday, Apr. 20, 6:30pmEast Portland Neighborhood Office1017 NE 117th Avenue

Woodland ParkNeighborhood AssociationAlesia Reese503-253-4414alesiajmr@yahoo.com

Next Meeting:Thursday, Apr. 23, 6:30pmEast Portland Neighborhood Office1017 NE 117th Avenue.

Parkrose HeightsAssociation of NeighborsCarol Williams503-255-9596carolsmailbox@msn.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 21, 7:00pmParkrose United Methodist Church11111 NE Knott Street

Parkrose Neighborhood AssociationMary Walker503-252-2146parkrose20@gmail.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 21, 7:00pmFaithful Savior Ministries11100 NE Skidmore

ArgayNeighborhood AssociationValerie Curry503-256-5579argayinfo@yahoo.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 21, 7:00pmFire Station #2, Conference Room4800 NE 122nd Avenue

RussellNeighborhood AssociationBonnie McKnight503-253-6848bonnymck@comcast.net

Next Meeting:Thursday, Apr. 16, 7:00pmWestern Chiropractic College,Hampton Hall2900 NE 132nd Avenue

CentennialCommunity AssociationTom Lewis503-253-5025gamodato@aol.com

Next Meeting:Tuesday, Apr. 14, 7:00pmHarold Oliver Inter. School15840 SE Taylor St., Room 65

East Portland Neighborhoods

By RoseMarie Opp

The corporate overlay on our

society has not been in our favor.

The consequences of not voting,

not demanding paper ballots

when we vote, not caring about

politics or what politicians are

doing is costing us.

Unemployment, uncertainty - all

the more reason that we as a

community need to take charge.

We can become more engaged

and more informed.

Water

The Portland Water Bureau is

proposing to raise water rates by

17.9% starting July 1. This is just

the beginning of even more cost-

ly water bills if we do not press

our city officials to ask the Oregon

Congressional delegation to give

us legislative provision to exempt

us from the LT2 regulation.

Please call Water Bureau

Commissioner, Randy Leonard at

503 823-4682; or call the toll free

number to Congress, Washington

DC 1-800-828-04898. Ask for

your Senator or House

Representative. Their staff will

answer and take down your con-

cerns. If you want to call about our

water, tell them you want a leg-

islative provision to exempt us

from the LT2 Regulation regard-

ing our Bull Run Water. If we do

not get this exemption the cost will

be millions. For more information

and updates: http://friendsofreser-

voirs.org.

Food

Mill Park Neighborhood

Association has been having dis-

cussions about the value and-

need for more gardens in our

area. We will be having more

meetings about this. We encour-

age people to plant not only gar-

dens, but fruit trees and berrys.

Some resources in Portland:

City Garden Farms, www.city-

gardenfarms.com, Ecotrust,

Food and Farms Program,

www.ecotrust.org/foodfarms/,

Edible Skylines, Erin Altz,

erinaltz@gmail.com, Urban

Agriculture Solutions, Your back-

yard farmer, Donna Smith,

www.yourbackyardfarmer.com,

Zenger Farm,

www.zengerfarm.org

The City of Portland Bureau of

Planning and Sustainability offers

classes on a program Urban

Growth Bounty 2009. It is good to

know the city now has awareness

of the need for food growth in our

area. If sustainability is now such

an important issue, then the huge

housing projects where people do

not even have a patio or deck to

grow a few container plants are

unacceptable. The City and Metro

need to rethink the plan called

Urban Growth Boundary when

the density and infill resulting from

that plan are taking the needed

garden space. We can see that

development is really taking away

the best fertile land in our valley.

No, that does not mean we are for

sprawl, but there are other

options. I don’t see many farms

outside the UGB growing food as

they used to, and shipping food

from other areas costs more. We

need to have the discussion and

evaluate the plans that are detri-

mental to our pocketbooks and

our quality of life.

Water and food, essentials for us all and yet the costs are increasing

Page 12 If you want this paper please call 503-823-4550 or visit our website at www.epno.org

By Linda Robinson

Chair of the Parks, Open Space &

Environment Committee, Hazelwood

Neighborhood Association

East Holladay Park, located at

12999 NE Holladay Street, has

been an undeveloped park for

40 years – since Multnomah

County bought the property

from PGE in 1969. The county

transferred the park to the City

of Portland in the mid-1990s,

some time after the area was

annexed.

In April 2005, local residents

began working with Portland

Parks & Recreation (PP&R)

staff to develop a Master Plan

for East Holladay Park.

Completion of the Master Plan

was delayed until August 2006,

while Parks negotiated with

PGE to locate part of the dog

off-leash area on PGE property

adjacent to the park. During

the delay, a small parking lot

was constructed in the park

(completed in March 2006).

City Council adopted the

Master Plan in November

2006.

The total cost of all proposed

improvements (not counting

the parking lot) was estimated

to be $1,585,227. Limited

funds ($100,000) are avail-

able to make some of the

improvements this spring.

The monies are from Park

System Development

Charges (SDCs) assessed on

new housing construction in

the area over the past couple

of years. The question was

where to start – which

improvements to put in first?

PP&R proposed starting with

the walking trail around the

perimeter of the park – the fea-

ture that got the highest score

during the Master Plan

process. The individuals who

met PP&R staff, on a cold,

windy day in January, for a

“walk through” at East Holladay

Park agreed. The asphalt trail

will include two benches -- one

near the parking lot, and the

other near the off-leash area.

It is expected there may be

enough money to add one

additional feature. The group

discussed several options

including a low fence and/or

landscaping to provide a bit of

a buffer between the walking

path and the off-leash area OR

one piece of play equipment

(e.g., swing set). The need for

a second garbage can near the

off-leash area was also dis-

cussed. Since it will be easier

to raise money for the play

equipment than for other park

amenities, it was suggested

PP&R money be spent on the

buffer and/or an additional

garbage can.

Several individuals have

expressed interest in planning

events at the park to raise

money for a full set of play

equipment, and an adjacent

bench. If you’d like to help with

the fund-raising, contact Linda

Robinson at lrobinspdx@com-

cast.net or 503-261-9566.

Neighbors and

Parks Bureau staff

met on a cold,

windy day for a

“walk through” at

East Holladay

Park.

Photo by Doug Brenner

East Holladay Park improvementsare coming – after 40 years

By David F. Ashton

Even though Anita Sauer was

finishing up her Bachelor's

degree in social sciences at the

Vancouver campus of

Washington State University,

she really wasn’t so sure that

she wanted to pursue a career

in Criminal Justice.

After school, Sauer married

David Tabayoyon, and the cou-

ple settled down in the Portland

area, where she worked as a

paralegal and legal assistant for

seven years.

“All along, I kept remembering

working in a floral shop while I

was in high school,” Tabayoyon

told us. “Finally, I was able to go

back in the floral business when

we opened A.R. Moss Floral

Design and Event

Embellishments here in

Parkrose, three years ago.”

Helps others share

special feelings

The best part of running her

business – in addition to being

able to work with her husband

David – “is being able to share

my creative side with people in

the community. I really enjoy

helping my customers convey

messages of love, care, and pos-

itive feelings through the plants

and floral arrangements I create

for them.”

There are several differences

between A.R. MOSS and chain

stores or Internet websites,

Tabayoyon explained. One of

them is genuine personal serv-

ice. “We get to know our clients –

their tastes and budgets – so

we’re able to serve them better.

We use plants and flowers grown

right here in the Pacific

Northwest. And, we’re an active

member in the Parkrose commu-

nity who supports our schools,

the Parkrose Business

Association, and the neighbor-

hood.”

A full-service florist

The “embellishments” part of

their business, she said, is being

a full-service wedding florist pro-

viding everything from a simple

bouquet all the way up to deco-

rating wedding arches or gaze-

bos. “We also provide wedding

favors; anything to make a spe-

cial event a little more elegant.”

They also decorate corporate

events, civic functions and fra-

ternal association banquets.

In the front of their business is

a gift store, featuring event

décor and embellishment items,

event favors, blooming and

green plants, dish gardens, can-

dles – and, eclectic vintage,

antique, and new home décor,

and garden décor and art.

A truly ‘green’ business

In addition to selling greenery,

Tabayoyon mentioned that they

compost all of the shop’s green

waste. “And, we love recycling

floral vases and containers, and

all of the plastic pots used at our

annual plant sale have been

reclaimed and reused.”

The shop, located at 10604

Northeast Sandy Boulevard, is

open to the public Tuesday-

Friday, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.,

Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 3:00

P.M., and on Monday by appoint-

ment only. You can learn more –

or order online, if you desire – by

visiting their website at

www.ARMoss.com. Or, call them

at (503) 358-2692.

– Local business spotlight –

Parkrose florist brightenslives with creative flair

Anita

Tabayoyon of

A.R. MOSS

Floral Design

and Event

Embellishments

prepares anoth-

er “gift of joy”

at her Parkrose-

area shop.

Photo by

David F. Ashton

Neighborhood value since

1960R E D I S C O V E R

THE CENTER OF DIVERSITY, HERITAGE & VALUE SHOPPING!

Household � Clothing � Dining � Health & Beauty

Entertainment � Professional Services

Ample parking 4000 SE 82nd Avenue of Roses | (503) 771-3817

www.eastportplaza.com

Patrick Metzger, representative of NE

Coalition of Neighbors considers the

choices from the Airport Futures discus-

sion. Members of the Public Involvement

Subcommittee of Airport Futures Group

met to examine the future of airport

involvement and planning. No final deci-

sions have been made, so time for public

input is available though neighborhood

meetings and planned open houses this

spring and summer.

Photo by Alesia Reese

SpeedingOn Your

NeighborhoodStreet?

Call the Traffic Safety

Hotline 503-823-SAFE(7233)